5 Questions with Deb Pace

As a Field Marketing Director, Deb Pace has the pleasure of serving 80 offices in the East Central, Southeast, Southwest and West Central regions of the Sunshine State. Together with her team, Deb leverages her versatile industry knowledge to provide hands-on support, and they have thousands of successful agents with flourishing businesses to show for it.

Everyday challenges and insights are a package deal when it comes to managing such a cosmopolitan state – read on for a glimpse into how Deb and her team help agents realize their full potential and hit the ground running in the face of new obstacles.

With your more than 30 years of exceptional real estate experience, it’s safe to say you have an idea of what success looks like. In your opinion, what are a few factors that every agent needs to continuously grow their business, and how do you and your team help with that?

My words of wisdom are to stay consistent with your marketing throughout both good and bad markets. Markets constantly change and if an agent hasn’t put forth consistent branding, they are less likely to be recognized or called upon when the competition becomes fierce. In addition to promoting their listings, agents also need to make sure they are promoting their personal brand and sharing their successes in the marketplace.

My team helps by educating agents on what’s available to them to keep up the momentum. In some cases, we find that our affiliated agents with prominent personal brands are using outside vendors and spending lots of money without getting results. My team helps agents build their marketing plan – and oftentimes, agents find that using Coldwell Banker Realty’s tools can save them money and help them achieve better results.

What do you think a brokerage needs to empower agents, and how do you think Coldwell Banker Realty is accomplishing that in your regions?

I think communication is key and making sure agents understand what we bring to the table. At Coldwell Banker Realty, communication and support is a multi-pronged approach – everyone is on board from senior leadership to support teams to the field. Duff Rubin, the president serving Florida, is very hands-on – he’s consistently in the field meeting with agents and getting their perspective on the marketplace. I think every brokerage needs to excel in engaging with agents and making them feel supported, and Coldwell Banker Realty does a great job with that.

Florida is a massive state with a booming real estate industry that attracts buyers from all over the world. What are some of the unique challenges and opportunities that Florida agents face?

Helping agents adapt their business through COVID-19 has been a challenge. They’re used to working face-to-face with clients, so adapting to using only technology was difficult for many of them. When they were suddenly faced with doing everything virtually, my team was able to quickly transition to all-virtual marketing classes. We also tailored sessions toward helping agents become comfortable with our existing technology and tools so they could continue doing their jobs in a virtual environment.

As an opportunity, Florida has always been a popular destination for people moving out-of-state and it continues to be despite the challenges of the last year. Our affiliated agents also have many buyer opportunities from around the world as a result.

What is the biggest challenge agents face in 2021 and how is your team and The Studio helping them meeting that challenge?

Lack of inventory is the biggest challenge, and because of COVID-19, it was hard for agents to create in-person relationships with clients last year. I think that presents a challenge especially for agents who didn’t have strong branding and recognition in the market prior to the pandemic. Those agents were negatively impacted when they didn’t have as much of an opportunity to get in front of clients. So, with my team, it was all hands on deck to teach agents how to bridge that gap. Promoting Listing Concierge as a branding tool to gain market recognition and win more listings has been a big part of my team’s strategy with agents.

You moved down several years ago from Connecticut and your family has grown since then. What’s it like having your family here in Florida with you?

Two years ago, my son had an opportunity to get a job in Sarasota, so now he and my daughter-in-law and two grandchildren – a six-year-old and a three-year-old – live less than half a mile from me. It’s been awesome just to have them close by. I also have a daughter and son-in-law who still live in Connecticut and she has a nine-month-old daughter. Eventually, I want to get everybody down here!